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COLEMAN, BERNHOLZ, 3 <br />BERNHOLZ, GLEDHILL & HARGRAVE <br />ATTORNEYS AT LAW OCT 2 4 199l <br />129 E. TRYON STREET 40 <br />P.O. DRAWER 1529 <br />HILLSBOROUGH, NC 27278 <br />919 - 732 -2196 <br />919- 942 -8000 <br />FAX 919- 732 -7997 October 23, 19 9 0 <br />CHAPEL HILL OFFICE <br />SUITE 300, THE CENTER <br />1506 E. FRANKLIN STREET <br />CHAPEL HILL, NC 27514 <br />919- 929 -7151 <br />FAX 919 - 929 -3892 <br />ALONZO B. COLEMAN, JR. <br />STEVEN A. BERNHOLZ ms. Betty une Hayes <br />ROGER B. BERNHOLZ y <br />GEOFFREY E. GLEDHILL Orange County Register of Deeds <br />DOUGLAS HARGRAVE Post Office BOX 8181 <br />G, NICHOLAS HERMAN <br />KIM K. STEFFAN Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 <br />JOE L. WEBSTER <br />TERRY G. HARN <br />JANET B. DUTTON Re: Refund of Excise Stamp Tax Overpayment <br />Of Counsel <br />BONNER D. SAWYER Dear Betty June: <br />(1902 - 1972) <br />This letter is in response to your September 20, <br />1990 request for an opinion as to how to handle the <br />overpayment in revenue stamps on the deed recorded at <br />Deed Book 872, Page 6 of the Orange County Registry. <br />According to the letter you received from Robert J. <br />Green, Jr. and his accompanying affidavit, $1,706.00 <br />was paid to your office for excise stamp taxes affixed <br />to a deed for property purchased for $170,600.00. The <br />excise tax on this transaction should have been <br />$171.00. The calculation error equals $1,535.00. <br />In my opinion Orange County can remit the <br />$1,535.00 requested by Mr. Green as an illegal tax. <br />North Carolina General Statutes §105- 228.30 establishes <br />the tax "at the rate of fifty cents (5U) on each five <br />hundred dollars ($500) or fractional part thereof of <br />the consideration—of the ... property conveyed...." <br />Assuming there is no dispute as to the valuation and <br />the calculation of.the tax any tax collected in excess <br />of the statutory amount is a tax collected without <br />statutory authority and therefore illegal. <br />Procedurally, the request should be forwarded to <br />the Board of County Commissioners for action on the <br />remission request accompanied with your recommendation <br />for the refund. The Board must approve the refund <br />since the money collected has been "placed in [the <br />County's] general fund." N.C. Gen. Stat. §105- 228.30. <br />Upon approval by the Board of County Commissioners, the <br />Finance Director can refund the $1,535.00 overpayment. <br />